Leading Clinicians and Clinicians Leading — NEJM

This is a good article on the importance of including physicians in leadership positions at all levels of clinical and business management on the delivery of high quality, cost-effective medical care.

Leading Clinicians and Clinicians Leading — NEJM

How to Improve Doctor-Patient Communication

This article from the Wall Street Journal asks several experts how to improve doctor-patient communication. One response I particularly like is the recommendation for the doctor to ask 3 questions:

• What do you think is going on?
• What are you most worried about?
• What do you think I can do for you?

I like this because patients often know exactly what is going on with them. They have thought about their condition, and lived with it from the very start. Even if their ideas end up being wrong, it is important to address the issues.

Smokers have worse colon cancer prognosis

Here's a landmark study (or maybe not):  in patients with colon cancer, smokers don't do as well as non-smokers. Really? Guess that proving the point might be helpful but we already know smoking isn't good for you, it increases your risk of cancer and delays healing after surgery or infections.